The Friday email: 14 February 2025

TUC's HeartUnions week

The HeartUnions week (10-16 February 2025), organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), is a chance to tell the story about why trade unions are vital for everyone at work, and encourage people who are not yet in a union to join. You can click here for more information about HeartUnions week and find a range of resources on growing power in the workplace.

Late last year UCU members at five colleges in Teesside won a pay award worth up to 16.5%, and TUC is showcasing this long dispute during HeartUnions week. You can read case studies from FBU, RMT and many others here. Finally, UCU also has a suite of tools for building the union which we encourage all branches and members to use.

UCU elections 2025

UCU has a national executive committee (NEC), elected by the union's members. The elections take place annually, and the ballots to elect Trustees, officers and NEC members opened on Monday 27 January. 

You can watch a video on the importance of taking part in UCU elections here. If you have not received your postal ballot materials, please request a replacement ballot via this form.

Hustings for the UCU vice president and honorary treasurer candidates took place online on Wednesday 5 February and you can view a recording of the hustings here.

We need change: we need a New Deal for FE!

In March we will be delivering our petition to the employers' body, the Association of Colleges (AoC) and to politicians as part of our submission to a new cross-party inquiry into further education (FE). There is a new video message from our general secretary to FE members here. 

Do not miss your chance to tell decision-makers that things have to change: please sign the petition now and ask your colleagues and friends to do the same. UCU is demanding:

• pay parity with schoolteachers
• action to address unmanageable workloads
• a return to binding national bargaining
• investment in the FE sector.

Stop the Cuts HE campaign briefing, 19 February

UCU will soon be launching a UK-wide campaign calling for a stop to the cuts that are damaging the higher education (HE) sector. The current situation is unsustainable: increasing numbers of HE institutions announcing redundancy programmes; a broken funding model causing harm to staff and students; financial mismanagement at some universities which are lavishing money on expensive projects and overseas campuses while making widespread job cuts.

This new Stop the Cuts HE campaign is being launched in pursuit of a 'fit for purpose' funding model and for urgent government intervention. We are running a briefing session on Wednesday 19 February (13:00-14:00) for branch reps and UCU members to learn about the campaign, what everyone can do to take part, as well as upcoming campaigning and lobbying activities. We encourage all to attend via this link on YouTube.

Strike ballot results at Newcastle, Brunel and Sheffield Hallam universities

Staff at Newcastle University overwhelmingly backed industrial action in defence of jobs; on a turnout of 64%, 83% of UCU members voted in favour of strikes. UCU called on the employer to listen to its staff and work with the union to avoid job cuts and compulsory redundancies. Meanwhile, staff at Brunel University of London voted for strike action on a turnout of 61%. The dispute at Brunel arose over management's original plans to make 135 academic staff redundant. Finally, in the dispute between UCU and Sheffield Hallam University over the employer's failure to implement UCEA's pay increase, Sheffield Hallam UCU members have also voted for strike action on a turnout of 50.33%.

These followed strong ballot results--which all beat the anti-trade union ballot threshold--from Dundee University, University of Sheffield International College (USIC), and University of East Anglia where UCU members are fighting against job cuts. USIC faces the prospect of imminent strike action to help secure alternative work for affected members. Thanks to UCU members and branches, as well as UCU staff in our national and regional offices, for their continued work with all the 'get the vote out' activities.

Your support is needed: current disputes

Please support the following branches where UCU members in higher education are continuing to defend jobs and education:

• Canterbury Christ Church University: CCCU UCU has declared a trade dispute following the university's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. They have announced 400 FTE job cuts by the end of this academic year to save £20m
• UCU members at Cardiff University will be balloted for industrial action imminently; click here to read Cardiff University UCU branch's press release.
• Durham University: UCU is in dispute with Durham management over plans to axe 200 jobs and the university's failure to rule out compulsory redundancies
• University of Edinburgh: The principal of University of Edinburgh announced this week that the university's funding gap is large and urgent enough to mean that 'nothing is off the table' as the university seeks to cut staff and make savings. The union disputes the need for cuts saying that the university is wealthier than it has ever been  
• University of Northampton: Northampton UCU and UNISON branches are calling on government for immediate help. Management is currently consulting staff on restructure plans which could result in closure of programmes, departments and compulsory redundancies. A unique circumstance at Northampton is that its Waterside campus was paid through a bond guaranteed by a previous government which it now has difficulty paying due to decreased international student recruitment. It is in the government's power to support Northampton by adjusting the terms of the bond and in doing this the impact of current financial pressures would be mitigated. Please show your solidarity by signing this petition which implores the government to take action
• University of Sunderland: Staff threatened with a restructure by university management have been told they cannot tell colleagues they are at risk of losing their jobs. Upon returning from their Christmas break, a small team of academic staff were told they would be restructured and that at least one post would be deleted. However, university management forbade impacted staff from having any 'discussions with students, alumni or colleagues'. Please sign the petition to oppose the University of Sunderland's decision.

The Minister for Skills answers your questions

At the end of January, UCU general secretary Jo Grady met with the Minister of State for Skills, Baroness Smith of Malvern. This was an opportunity to put UCU members' concerns about the state of UK universities, and what the Labour government should urgently do about the sector, directly to the minister. Click here to watch the full interview.

Adult and community education briefing in London, 26 February

Please join your adult and community education (ACE) colleagues from across the UCU London region and take part in our next briefing for the sector.

UCU London regional office has called this important briefing to update branch officers, reps and members working in ACE in London, on our flagship national campaign (New Deal for FE), our work with the Greater London Authority and the TUC, and to provide you with the latest policy and funding updates for the sector.

Speakers include: Jo Grady (UCU general secretary) and Paul Bridge (UCU head of further education), Kashif Mirza (Skills and employment, Greater London Authority), Adam Lincoln (UCU regional official, London FE) and Sam Gurney (TUC LESE regional secretary).

The meeting will be hybrid--on Zoom and at UCU head office in London--and take place on Wednesday 26 February (14:00-16:00), with lunch from 13:15. You can register here and registration will be open until Monday 24 February.

Who do you think should lead universities?

All UK university staff: who do you think should lead UK universities? Please provide your views on whom are best placed for vice-chancellor roles by completing this short survey.

This survey is being administered by researchers at the Centre for Higher Education Transformations (CHET) at the University of Bristol. It has received full ethical approval for distribution.

UCU Scotland welcomes additional money for universities to cover increased pension costs

This week UCU Scotland welcomed the announcement by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) of extra funding for Scottish universities to meet additional pension costs for employers in both the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) and NHS pension. STPS employer contributions rose from 23% to 26% from April 2024; UCU argued that it was wrong for the additional costs to have to be met by the employers when they were the result of changes by the UK Treasury. 

The additional costs borne by universities fell most heavily on post-92 institutions. The announcement of new funding recognises this with University of the West of Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University and Glasgow Caledonian University receiving over £1million each of new funding. Click here for the full story.

INTO Exeter UCU celebrates recognition deal

UCU South West regional office is pleased to report that a recognition deal has been agreed with INTO Exeter, the private provider of international access to University of Exeter. Exeter follows recognition in Manchester, with other sites in talks, to secure UCU's place for collective bargaining for members. Reps at INTO Exeter have already been leading on talks with the employer, to challenge changes to contracted hours, which the agreement has facilitated.

Support UCU's petition: remove Coventry University vice-chancellor from government role

Coventry University is currently facing a crisis, with the potential loss of 300 staff members and severe cuts across faculties. Those who remain will be forced to work through a subsidiary company, and any new starters would be unable to access the industry-standard Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS).Despite the institution being on its knees, Coventry vice-chancellor John Latham has been rewarded with a non-executive board position at the Department for Business and Trade. To hold leadership accountable and signal our disgust, UCU urge all members to sign this petition, which already has over 3,000 signatories, calling for the immediate removal of John Latham from the Department for Business and Trade board.

Democracy in your union: UCU members' survey

UCU has commissioned the Labour Research Department (LRD) to carry out research into members' thoughts and experiences of the union's democratic structures. Members would have received an email from LRD Surveys this week; the survey is open until Monday 10 March.

Cradle to Grave 2025 conference, 29 March

Registration is open here for UCU's Cradle to Grave conference, which will take place on Saturday 29 March.

This annual conference is a chance for members to gather together to discuss some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the sectors where we organise. The theme of this year's conference is 'Education for liberation: building progressive post-16 education policy', and the confirmed keynote speaker is Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East.

The conference will be run as a hybrid event, with options to attend in person at the CCT Venue Smithfields, London or online via Zoom. We expect spaces for the in-person event to fill up quickly so register as soon as possible to secure your place. The deadline to register is Thursday 13 March; the conference is free to attend.

Employment Rights Bill

The Employment Rights Bill is progressing through the UK Parliament. Here you will find resources relating to the Bill published by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER).

UCU submission to prison education related inquiries

UCU has made short written submissions to two prison education related inquiries recently, conducted by the House of Commons Justice Committee: one into 'Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending', and the other into 'Tackling drugs in prisons'. Our particular thanks to some of our prison education members for their support with the evidence.

UCU Green rep survey

UCU's climate and ecological emergency committee (CEEC) would like to understand from Green Reps how best we can support you to progress a Just Transition and Climate bargaining agenda in your branches, and specifically how we can move towards a proactive 'bargaining for the future' strategy. This survey is directed to UCU members who are already Green reps or who have expressed an interest in the union's climate related work. It should take around 10 minutes to complete.

National demonstration for Palestine, 15 February

Click here for more information. The national demonstration for Palestine will take place in London on Saturday 15 February 2025, 12:00-16:00. Assemble at 12 noon in Whitehall, marching to the US Embassy,

Demonstration at the Russian Embassy, 22 February

As part of the union's international solidarity work, UCU is supporting a march and rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and in support of the people of Ukraine. This will be held in London on Saturday 22 February, on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. For more information click here.